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Page Numbers: 48450-48453
Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, State Agencies for the Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, and State Agencies for the Approval of Nurse Education.
[Federal Register: July 24, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 142)]
[Notices]
[Page 48450-48453]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24jy02-45]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, State Agencies for the
Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, and State
Agencies for the Approval of Nurse Education
AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and
Integrity, Department of Education (The Advisory Committee).
What Is the Purpose of This Notice?
The purpose of this notice is to invite written comments on
accrediting agencies and State approval agencies whose applications to
the Secretary for initial or renewed recognition or whose interim
reports will be reviewed at the Advisory Committee meeting to be held
on December 2-4, 2002.
Where Should I Submit My Comments?
Please submit your written comments by September 9, 2002 to Carol
Griffiths, Chief, Accrediting Agency Evaluation, Accreditation and
State Liaison. You may contact her at the U.S. Department of Education,
room 7105, MS 8509, 1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20006,
telephone: (202) 219-7011. Individuals who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay
Service at 1-800-877-8339.
What Is the Authority for the Advisory Committee?
The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and
Integrity is established under Section 114 of the Higher Education Act
(HEA), as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1011c. One of the purposes of the Advisory
Committee is to advise the Secretary of Education on the recognition of
accrediting agencies and State approval agencies.
Will This Be My Only Opportunity To Submit Written Comments?
Yes, this notice announces the only opportunity you will have to
submit written comments. However, a subsequent Federal Register notice
will announce the meeting and invite individuals and/or groups to
submit requests to make oral presentations before the Advisory
Committee on the agencies that the Committee will review. That notice,
however, does not offer a second opportunity to submit written comment.
What Happens to the Comments That I Submit?
We will review your comments, in response to this notice, as part
of our evaluation of the agencies' compliance with the Secretary's
Criteria for Recognition of Accrediting Agencies and State Approval
Agencies. The Criteria are regulations found in 34 CFR part 602 (for
accrediting agencies) and in 34 CFR part 603 (for State approval
agencies).
We will also include your comments with the staff analyses we
present to the Advisory Committee at its December 2002 meeting.
Therefore, in order for us to give full consideration to your comments,
it is important that we receive them by September 9, 2002. In all
instances, your comments about agencies seeking initial or continued
recognition must relate to the Criteria for Recognition. In addition,
your comments for any agency whose interim report is scheduled for
review must relate to the issues raised and the Criteria for
Recognition cited in the Secretary's letter that requested the interim
report.
What Happens to Comments Received After the Deadline?
We will review any comments received after the deadline. If such
comments, upon investigation, reveal that the accrediting agency is not
acting in accordance with the Criteria for Recognition, we will take
action either before or after the meeting, as appropriate.
What Agencies Will the Advisory Committee Review at the Meeting?
The Secretary of Education recognizes accrediting agencies and
State approval agencies for public postsecondary vocational education
and nurse education if the Secretary determines that they meet the
Criteria for Recognition. Recognition means that the Secretary
considers the agency to be a reliable authority as to the quality of
education offered by institutions or programs that are encompassed
within the scope of recognition he grants to the agency. The following
agencies will be reviewed during the December 2002 meeting of the
Advisory Committee:
Nationally Recognized Accredity Agencies
Petition for Initial Recognition
1. Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (Requested
scope of recognition: the accreditation of postsecondary English
language programs and institutions in the United States)
2. Teacher Education Accreditation Council (Requested scope of
recognition: the accreditation throughout the United States of
professional education programs in institutions offering baccalaureate
and
[[Page 48451]]
graduate degrees for the preparation of teachers K-12)
Petitions for Renewal of Recognition
1. Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training
(Current scope of recognition: the accreditation of institutions of
higher education throughout the United States that offer non-collegiate
continuing education programs.) (Requested scope of recognition: the
accreditation of institutions of higher education throughout the United
States that offer non-collegiate continuing education programs,
including programs offered via distance education.)
2. American Optometric Association, Accreditation Council on
Optometric Education (Current scope of recognition: the accreditation
in the United States of professional optometric degree programs,
optometric technician (associate degree) programs, and optometric
residency programs and for the preaccreditation categories of
Preliminary Approval and Reasonable Assurance for professional
optometric degree programs and Candidacy Pending for optometric
residency programs in Veterans' Administration facilities.)
3. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on
Academic Accreditation (Current scope of recognition: the accreditation
and preaccreditation (Candidacy status) throughout the United States of
Master's and doctoral-level degree programs in speech-language
pathology and/or audiology.) (Requested scope of recognition: the
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Accreditation Candidate'')
throughout the United States of entry-level graduate education programs
at the master's or doctoral level leading to the first professional or
academic degree in audiology and/or speech-language pathology and the
accreditation of these programs offered via distance education.)
4. Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (Current scope of
recognition: the accreditation throughout the United States of direct-
entry midwifery educational institutions and programs conferring
degrees and certificates.) (Requested scope of recognition: the
preaccreditation and accreditation throughout the United States of
direct-entry midwifery educational institutions and programs conferring
degrees and certificates, including the accreditation of programs
offered via distance education.)
5. National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on
Accreditation (Current scope of recognition: the accreditation
throughout the United States of institutions and units within
institutions offering degree-granting and non-degree-granting programs
in art and design and art and design-related disciplines.) (Requested
scope of recognition: the accreditation throughout the United States of
institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and
non-degree-granting programs in art and design and art and design-
related disciplines, including programs offered via distance
education.)
6. National Association of Schools of Dance, Commission on
Accreditation (Current scope of recognition: the accreditation
throughout the United States of institutions and units within
institutions offering degree-granting and non-degree-granting programs
in dance and dance-related disciplines.) (Requested scope of
recognition: the accreditation throughout the United States of
institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and
non-degree-granting programs in dance and dance-related disciplines,
including programs offered via distance education.)
7. National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on
Accreditation, Commission on Non-Degree-Granting Accreditation,
Commission on Community/Junior College Accreditation (Current scope of
recognition: the accreditation throughout the United States of
institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and
non-degree-granting programs in music and music-related disciplines,
including community/junior colleges and independent degree-granting and
non-degree-granting institutions.) (Requested scope of recognition: the
accreditation throughout the United States of institutions and units
within institutions offering degree-granting and non-degree-granting
programs in music and music-related disciplines, including community/
junior colleges and independent degree-granting and non-degree-granting
institutions and programs offered via distance education.)
8. National Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on
Accreditation (Current scope of recognition: the accreditation
throughout the United States of institutions and units within
institutions offering degree-granting and non-degree-granting programs
in theatre and theatre-related disciplines.) (Requested scope of
recognition: the accreditation throughout the United States of
institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and
non-degree-granting programs in theatre and theatre-related
disciplines, including programs offered via distance education.)
9. New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on
Institutions of Higher Education (Current scope of recognition: the
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy status'') of
institutions of higher education in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont that award bachelor's,
master's, and/or doctoral degrees and associate degree-granting
institutions in those states that include degrees in liberal arts or
general studies among their offerings. This recognition extends to the
Board of Trustees of the Association jointly with the Commission for
decisions involving preaccreditation, initial accreditation, and
adverse actions.) (Requested scope of recognition: the accreditation
and preaccreditation (``Candidacy status'') of institutions of higher
education in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, and Vermont that award bachelor's, master's, and/or doctoral
degrees and associate degree-granting institutions in those states that
include degrees in liberal arts or general studies among their
offerings, and the accreditation of programs offered via distance
education within these institutions. This recognition extends to the
Board of Trustees of the Association jointly with the Commission for
decisions involving preaccreditation, initial accreditation, and
adverse actions.)
10. New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on
Technical and Career Institutions (Current scope of recognition: the
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate status'') of secondary
institutions with vocational-technical programs at the 13th and 14th
grade level, postsecondary institutions, and institutions of higher
education that provide primarily vocational/technical education at the
certificate, associate, and baccalaureate degree levels in Connecticut,
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. This
recognition extends to the Board of Trustees of the Association jointly
with the Commission for decisions involving preaccreditation, initial
accreditation, and adverse actions.) (Requested scope of recognition:
the accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate status'') of
secondary institutions with vocational-technical programs at the 13th
and 14th grade level, postsecondary institutions, and institutions of
higher education that provide primarily vocational/technical education
at the certificate, associate,
[[Page 48452]]
and baccalaureate degree levels in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, and the accreditation of
programs offered via distance education within these institutions. This
recognition extends to the Board of Trustees of the Association jointly
with the Commission for decisions involving preaccreditation, initial
accreditation, and adverse actions.)
11. North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher
Learning Commission (Current scope of recognition: the accreditation
and preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of degree-
granting institutions of higher education in Arizona, Arkansas,
Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South
Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, including schools of the
Navajo Nation.) (Requested scope of recognition: the accreditation and
preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of degree-granting
institutions of higher education in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West
Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, including schools of the Navajo Nation,
and the accreditation of programs offered via distance education within
these institutions.)
12. Northwest Association of Schools and of Colleges and
Universities, Commission on Colleges and Universities (Current scope of
recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy
status'') of postsecondary educational institutions in Alaska, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.) (Requested scope of
recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy
status'') of postsecondary educational institutions in Alaska, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and the accreditation of
programs offered via distance education within these institutions.)
13. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting
Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (Current scope of
recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate for
Accreditation'') of community and junior colleges located in
California, Hawaii, the United States territories of Guam and American
Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of the
Marshall Islands.) (Requested scope of recognition: the accreditation
and preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of community and
junior colleges located in California, Hawaii, the United States
territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the
Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the
accreditation of programs offered via distance education at these
colleges.)
Interim Reports (An interim report is a follow-up report on an
accrediting agency's compliance with specific criteria for recognition
that was requested by the Secretary when the Secretary granted renewed
recognition to the agency.)
1. Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.
2. American College of Nurse-Midwives, Division of Accreditation.
3. American Council on Pharmaceutical Education.
4. Commission on Opticianry Accreditation.
5. Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.
6. Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear
Medicine Technology.
7. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting
Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities:
State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Public Postsecondary
Vocational Education
Petition for Renewal of Recognition
1. Oklahoma Board of Career and Technology Education (Current scope
of recognition: the approval of public postsecondary vocational
education offered at institutions in the State of Oklahoma that are not
under the jurisdiction of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education.)
2. Utah State Board for Applied Technology Education:
State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education
Petition for Renewal of Recognition
1. Iowa Board of Nursing
2. Maryland Board of Nursing
Federal Agency Seeking Degree-Granting Authority
In accordance with the Federal policy governing the granting of
academic degrees by Federal agencies (approved by a letter from the
Director, Bureau of the Budget, to the Secretary, Health, Education,
and Welfare, dated December 23, 1954), the Secretary is required to
establish a review committee to advise the Secretary concerning any
legislation that may be proposed that would authorize the granting of
degrees by a Federal agency. The review committee forwards its
recommendation concerning a Federal agency's proposed degree-granting
authority to the Secretary, who then forwards the committee's
recommendation and the Secretary's recommendation to the Office of
Management and Budget for review and transmittal to the Congress. The
Secretary uses the Advisory Committee as the review committee required
for this purpose. Accordingly, the Advisory Committee will review the
following institution at this meeting:
Proposed Master's Degree-Granting Authority
1. U.S. Marine Corps University, Quantico, VA (request to award a
master's degree of Operational Studies)
Where Can I Inspect Petitions and Third-Party Comments Before and After
the Meeting?
All petitions and those third-party comments received in advance of
the meeting, will be available for public inspection and copying at the
U.S. Department of Education, room 7105, MS 8509, 1990 K Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20006, telephone (202) 219-7011 between the hours of
8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, until November 8, 2002.
They will be available again after the December 2-4 Advisory Committee
meeting. An appointment must be made in advance of such inspection or
copying.
How May I Obtain Electronic Access to This Document?
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.
Authority: 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2.
[[Page 48453]]
Dated: July 18, 2002.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-18663 Filed 7-23-02; 8:45 am]
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